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Telling Outlook Express How to Dial Your ISP

"When I open Outlook Express, it automatically connects to my ISP (Internet Service Provider). Since I sometimes need to open the program just to check on a message, I find it irritating that Outlook Express automatically connects. Is there a way to stop this and still have it connect when I want to check my mail?"

Yes, there sure is.

Run Outlook Express and choose Tools, Options. When the Options dialog box opens, click the DialUp tab. Now, select the Do Not Dial A Connection option. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your selections. Now, close Outlook Express and then run it again. It should no longer automatically dial. However, it should dial when you click the Send And Receive button. In IE 5, Outlook Express and IE share the same connection settings. To make the appropriate changes, bring up the Internet Explorer Properties dialog box, and then click the Connections Tab. Click the Never Dial a Connection radio button to prevent Outlook Express from dialing a connection when it starts.